ALAN DURBAN BOOK EVENT IN SUNDERLAND

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint.
They do all the great Got, Not Got series
and plenty of other retro sports titles.

James Brown, The Late Tackle, talkSPORT

Pitch Publishing show the way for enterprising
sports book publishers and remains a beacon
of hope for sports authors aspiring or established.

The Sports Bookshelf.com

Pitch Publishing, an outfit whose "pitch perfect"
commissioning of boxing material stands
as a rebuke to more established houses

Boxing Monthly

Pitch capture the real spirit of sport with entertaining
and clever ideas. They work out what the aficionado
would want to read, then deliver it with great verve.

Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph

Pitch have enabled me to write in the ways I enjoy most.
Their production support is superb, delivering eye-catching
designs, attentive proof-reading, energetic marketing and helpful advice.

Tim Quelch, Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Orient to the Emirates, Underdog!

Pitch are willing to back out-of-the-blue and innovative
ideas and turn them into viable, entertaining books.
They do so with great presentation and editorial flair.

Justin Parkinson, Then Came Massacre

Pitch saw the potential in my story, used their expertise
to polish it, published it and helped inspire thousands
around the world to get into the sport of triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run & Can't Sleep, Can't Train, Can't Stop

The process of working with Pitch to produce Picking up the Threads
was enjoyable and rewarding, with the final edition surpassing
expectations and becoming a resounding success.

John Chandler, Picking up the Threads

Pitch will take a chance on books that other publishers won't
and realise that interest in football extends beyond the
Premier League and the top 20 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Steve Menary, Outcasts!

Pitch have the vision to look beyond the obvious,
seeking out interesting ideas and subjects and
matching them with the right target audience.

David Tossell, Tony Greig, The Great English Final, Grovel!, Natural

Pitch have been an absolute joy to work with,
contributing their passion, expertise, knowledge
and experience to help produce a brilliant book.

Sam Pilger, Ashes Match of My Life

Pitch took our original concept and further enhanced it,
using their knowledge, experience and expertise, and helped
make Got, Not Got one of the football books of the year for 2011.

Derek Hammond, Got, Not Got series of books

Pitch bought into the concept of development through football,
channeling profits and proceeds from Eleven into helping
some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world.

Steve Fleming, Eleven

In the highly competitive world of sport publishing,
Pitch have consistently demonstrated the happy
knack of spotting, nurturing and promoting winners.

Neil Dunkin, Anfield of Dreams

15 Nov

ALAN DURBAN BOOK EVENT IN SUNDERLAND

The popular ex-Black Cats boss will be chatting with fans and signing books at Waterstones, Sunderland, this Saturday.

David Snowdon's Give Us Tomorrow Now whirls through a mesmerising 1980s backdrop as a top-flight team strived to satisfy their swarms of faithful and fanatical supporters.

Success or consolidation had proved elusive objectives for a series of Sunderland managers attempting the task of ‘waking the sleeping giant’. In the summer of 1981, a new dawn shimmered as Alan Durban was persuaded to relinquish his comfortable Stoke post and enter the white heat of North East football mania. This disciple of Brian Clough battled to lay enduring foundations and find an on-field blend amidst constant boardroom interference and an intense media spotlight. A restless hierarchy failed to back their manager’s judgement and the lack of a cup run heightened boardroom impatience to boiling point.

The commentary explores Durban’s long-term vision and strategy and how, heartbreakingly, his embryonic ‘tomorrow team’ was not granted the time to mature. This intriguing story reflects an increasingly widespread sporting malaise felt throughout the land. Give Us Tomorrow Now offers an intelligently entertaining and powerful narrative, intensified by the authentic dialogue of the principal characters in this fascinating episode of sport history.

A powerful narrative of a manager striving to satisfy legions of fanatical supporters and an impatient boardroom. In the white heat of North East football mania, Alan Durban battled to achieve long-term stability and an on-field blend despite constant interference.

Engaging and deeply-researched narrative of a gifted football manager’s arduous battle to build the foundations for sustained success
Set amidst a fascinating 1980s backdrop, the story features first-hand accounts and authentic dialogue
Intriguing glimpses of where the paths of management greats Brian Clough, Bobby Robson, and Howard Kendall intertwined with Durban’s reign
The myth of the notorious ‘if you want entertainment, send for clowns’ sound-bite (trawled out by the media) is finally exploded
Contributions from former players

Click here for more information or to read a sample from Give Us Tomorrow Now